Countdown: Germany - Greece
Stay here for all the build-up to this evening's quarter-final encounter between Germany and Greece from the Arena Gdansk.
Germany coach Joachim Löw issued a strong warning to those who believe his side can already begin planning for the UEFA EURO 2012 semi-finals: "Playing Greece will be akin to colliding with a rock."
The three-time European champions go into the tie at the Arena Gdansk on the back of a national-record 14-game winning run in competitive fixtures and, in eight previous meetings with Friday's opponents, have never lost. Yet one statistic weighs heavily in the other column: Greece triumphed at UEFA EURO 2004 when their ambitions were similarly dismissed.
"We are the favourites, that's logical and we can live with that," Löw said. "We also know that knockout games have their own character. Once the match starts, being expected to triumph counts for nothing. Greece are not the sort of team that gets ripped apart; we saw that against Russia when they upset the odds [winning 1-0]. You can never count them out."
Joachim Löw, Germany coach: We are the favourites, that's logical and we can live with that. We also know that knockout games have their own character. Greece are not the sort of team that gets ripped apart; we saw that against Russia. You can never count them out.
Fernando Santos, Greece coach: In terms of stature and importance Germany are big. But we are not here on our holidays. The 2004 team was written off before that tournament and they are our source of inspiration now.
Greece: Sifakis, Maniatis, Tzavellas, Papadopoulos, Torossidis, Papastathopoulos, Makos, Ninis, Katsouranis, Samaras, Salpingidis SUBS: Chalkias, Tzorvas, Malezas, Fotakis, Fortounis, Fetfatzidis, Liberopoulos, Mitroglou, Gekas.
Germany: Neuer, Hummels, Badstuber, Lahm, Boateng, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Özil, Schürrle, Reus, Klose SUBS: Wiese, Zieler, Schmelzer, Höwedes, Mertesacker, Gündoğan, Müller, Bender, Kroos, Götze, Podolski, Gomez.
The match is under way.1st Half
Greece kick off this exciting match, dreaming of going one step closer to repeating their UEFA EURO 2004 feat.
minute 4 :Schürrle (Germany) is flagged for offside.
minute 4 : Sifakis (Greece) makes a save.
Michalis Sifakis makes a nervy start, spilling Sami Khedira's firm low effort out at the feet of oncoming German forwards - fortunately for Greece, the threatening Germans had strayed offside.
Arena Gdansk: The Germany fans away to our left were on their feet as Miroslav Klose smashed the ball home yet their joy was short-lived after the striker's effort was ruled out for offside.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos puts a challenge in on Miroslav Klose, who is making his 120th international appearance. Only Lothar Matthäus (150) has played more times for Germany.
minute 14 :Samaras (Greece) is shown a yellow card.
Samaras (Greece) is shown a yellow card.
Giorgos Samaras fouls Bastian Schweinsteiger after the German midfielder releases his pass, earning a yellow.
Good play from the industrious Giorgos Samaras picks out Sotiris Ninis on the right, who cuts inside hits a tricky low left-footed effort, but Manuel Neuer clings on well down to his right.
Greece are defending steadfastly here, but is it a little too early to be employing such tactics? With ten minutes left in this half, plus another 45 to come, they will have a lot of pressure to deal with.
minute 39 : Lahm (Germany) scores
The captain steps up for his team, beating Michalis Sifakis to the keeper's left with a wickedly swerving effort from the edge of the area after darting off the left flank.
Assist by Özil (Germany)
Philipp Lahm's goalscoring for Germany follows a familiar pattern. He has registered his goals at two year intervals, scoring in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and now 2012.
Germany captain Philipp Lahm shows his team-mates how its done, shooting past Michalis Sifakis from the edge of the area and registering his fifth goal in his 90th game for his country.
Fernando Santos will have a tough team talk to give at the break. Greece have scored in 21 of their 24 matches under the coach, but need one tonight to keep their hopes alive.
The referee blows for half-time.
Arena Gdansk: Germany take a deserved lead into the break thanks to Philipp Lahm’s swerving effort six minutes before the break. Joachim Löw's side have impressed going forward while Greece have offered little in the way of a counter-attacking threat thus far.
The second half begins.
Germany get us under way again, and they are in a commanding position. Can they add another goal ?
Arena Gdansk: Greece know the scale of the task they face in trying to turn this game around. In eight previous encounters against Germany, the Greeks have never won.
minute 46 : Fotakis (in) - Tzavellas (out) (Greece),Gekas (in) - Ninis (out) (Greece).
André Schürrle is frustrated after a Germany effort fails to find the net. The Bayer 04 Leverkusen man's record at international level is excellent, having scored seven times in his previous 15 appearances.
MINUTE 55 : Samaras (Greece) scores!
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